Anne Hoffman

School: Regis Catholic Schools
Title: Library Media Specialist
Bio: Anne lives in her childhood home with her cat – and a lot of books!

If I could be one fictional character it would be: King Bidgood (King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub) because he gets to stay in his enormous bathtub all day long and play.

One question I get asked a lot is: “Have you read all the books in the library?” That question always makes me smile.

One thing my students don’t know about me is: I didn’t learn to read until the end of first grade.

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Amy Ambelang

School: Chippewa Falls Senior High School
Title: Library Media Specialist

If I could be one fictional character it would be: I would like to be a combo or hybrid character from The Incredible's. I’d like to be fast like Dash, stretchy like Helen, and have the ability to become invisible like Violet all combined into one character.

The funniest thing a child has ever said to me was: Kids say something funny every single day. For example, today a kid asked me if they could call dibs on the cactus for drinking water when it all ran out. A highlight has to be when in my first year of teaching a student asked me to tell him about my memories of living through the Great Depression.

A particularly heartwarming moment was the time: The student I tutored for three years graduated! It is impossible to put into words how much I learned about teaching, learning, and the power of mentoring from tutoring him.

My students always say: I look like a librarian or Amy from The Big Bang Theory.

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Ashley Kohls

School: Meadowview Elementary, Eau Claire
Title: Library Media Specialist
Bio: Ashley is married to her best friend, Adam, and together they have two beautiful children and a cat. When she’s not reading, she loves to put on her apron and cook and bake, sometimes with ingredients grown in her garden.

If I could give one piece of advice to parents it would be: Read every day to your children! I love the quote: “There is no app to replace your lap: Read to your child.”

One thing my students don’t know about me is: When I was little I made my own library system with my books that my mom and dad bought me. I made pockets for the cards that I would write my sisters’ names on, and I would write them a receipt with the due date. I still have some of those books!

One really unique program we offer at our library is: Therapy reading dogs!  These specially trained dogs, both big and small, come to the library to have students read to them. It is a very awesome program our partnership coordinator and literacy coach helped set up.

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Terry Staupe

School: School District of the Menomonie Area
Title: Director of Library Media Services
Bio: Terry considers herself to be a big kid, is always open to new experiences, and is a forever student whose goal is to learn something new every day. She has three incredible children with her husband of 33 years, and she has enjoyed working in the Menomonie school district for more than 15 years.

Favorite book: It is really hard to pick my favorite book. I was just telling my youngest daughter that it is not really the details of a book that I remember; it is how the book makes me feel. If I can laugh, cry, get angry, or feel a strong emotion when reading, that is when I know a book is good.

If I could be one fictional character it would be: Wow, this is hard! Could be Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. She is a strong female character with leadership skills. (Did you know that this book was once banned because of the very same reason?) Or, it could be Mary Poppins. Just love her. Plus, who wouldn’t want an umbrella to take you places or to hang out with penguins?

The funniest thing a child has ever asked me was:
Student: “Mrs. Staupe, would you help me find a book?”
Me: “Sure. Do you know the name of the book or what it was about?”
Student: “No, but the cover is gray.”

One thing my students don’t know about me is: I was a horrible reader. It wasn’t until my second-grade teacher really sat and worked with me that the whole reading thing clicked. Growing up wasn’t always much fun in my house, and reading provided me with an escape. Books let me be somebody else, helped me feel safe, took me on exotic trips, and set me free.